Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why

So far as the writer can learn from replies sent to her inquiries by medicine teachers, the study of textbooks on medicine, and articles in good medical journals, alcohol now has only minimal use in medicine with the great majority of successful physicians. Some recommend wine for diabetes mellitus, saying that it acts less like a poison and more like a food in that disease than in any other. Some use alcoholic liquors in fevers as a food “to save the burning of tissue.” Still, an article on “Therapeutics” in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for November 6, 1909, page 1564, says that sugar would probably have equal value in such a case.

The same article states that hot baths, with hot lemonade and a quickly acting cathartic, will abort a cold without any need for recourse to alcohol. The writer wishes to acknowledge the courtesies received from busy physicians who have aided materially in her work by answering personal letters of inquiry and letters published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by the editor’s kindness. Especially would she thank those professors of medicine and superintendents of large hospitals who so courteously aided her in preparing a paper for the International Congress on Alcoholism, held in London in July 1909, to which she was a delegate, representing the United States government. A few of the replies received at that time are given in this book.

There was no room for all. She also wishes to acknowledge the kindness and much help from pharmacists and druggists in the fight against dangerous patent medicines and drug drinks sold at soda fountains. The Druggists’ Circular of New York deserves special mention in this connection. It has been necessary to make many changes in this edition because of the changing views on alcohol and the publicity on patent medicines. Physicians will find Chapter XVI entirely new and of great interest.